Speech: Nobel Lecture

Context and Occasion
Arafat accepted the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres on 10 December 1994 in Oslo. He framed the award as recognition of a historic opening: the onset of a negotiated process aimed at ending decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Gratitude toward the Nobel Committee and acknowledgment of the unusual, difficult nature of reaching agreement with former adversaries marked the opening tone.
The address placed the Oslo accords and ongoing negotiations in a larger narrative of struggle and aspiration, presenting the prize not as a conclusion but as encouragement to continue difficult, often painful work toward a durable peace.

Reflection on the Palestinian Struggle
Arafat invoked the long history of Palestinian suffering, displacement, and resistance, stressing that the Palestinian quest for national rights and identity did not emerge overnight but grew out of dispossession and hardship. He sought to humanize the Palestinian cause by recounting collective sacrifice and by emphasizing a yearning for dignity, homeland, and normal life for ordinary people.
At the same time, he acknowledged the heavy emotional burden carried by many Palestinians, including refugees and families bereaved by violence, and affirmed that recognition of their pain must be part of any just settlement. The speech balanced remembrance of past injustices with a forward-looking insistence on practical steps that would restore rights and enable community rebuilding.

Commitment to Peace and Reconciliation
Arafat underscored a firm commitment to negotiated settlement and to coexistence with Israel, presenting recognition and mutual security as central objectives. He emphasized that peace requires more than treaties: it demands trust-building, reconciliation between peoples, and everyday measures to reduce fear and hostility. He called for an end to violence and highlighted the responsibility of leaders to translate agreements into protection for civilians and a stable environment.
He also recognized that peace would require concessions and difficult compromises from both sides. The lecture stressed patience and perseverance, portraying peace as a process in which setbacks must be met with renewed determination rather than abandonment of dialogue.

Calls for International Support and Justice
The speech appealed for sustained international engagement to support implementation of agreements, institution-building, economic development, and humanitarian relief, especially for refugees. Arafat argued that outside actors could help ensure compliance, provide resources to bolster governance, and create conditions conducive to long-term stability.
Justice and fairness were presented as prerequisites for lasting peace, not optional extras. Arafat framed international backing as instrumental to securing a viable Palestinian self-rule that could coexist with Israel on the basis of agreed arrangements and mutual recognition.

Vision for the Future
Arafat offered a cautious but hopeful vision: a future in which Palestinians could live in dignity, raise families in safety, and rebuild social and economic life; and where Israelis could live without fear of attacks. He emphasized the centrality of negotiations to reach final-status arrangements on borders, settlements, refugees, and Jerusalem, while urging that immediate measures deliver tangible improvements in people's daily lives.
The Nobel recognition was portrayed as both affirmation and challenge. The lecture closed with an appeal to continue the difficult path of compromise, institution-building, and reconciliation so that the aspirations of both peoples might be met by a durable and just peace.